"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105 |
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The month of August brought a hum of activity as many us were busy with preparing classrooms, editing paces, curriculum finalizations, computer set-up for high school students, meetings, and preparing new course orientations. We spent a Saturday cleaning the building thoroughly inside and out, including grounds clean up, window washing, kitchen and appliance cleaning and washing carpets, walls, and lockers. The first day of school, September 7, dawned bright and sunny as many eager faces gathered to begin our fourth year at DLIGR. The students were happy to be back at school, and excited to get reacquainted with friends and classmates after a summer away. They gathered with teachers, parents, and friends for a short School Opening Program in the chapel, after which we enjoyed coffee and refreshments in the gym. In the course of the morning, the students began their studies in the learning centers. Every year again, it is such an undeserved privilege to send our children to this Christian school. May the Lord crown the endeavors with His blessing and favor! |
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Kindergarten is off to a very good start this year with two energetic boys who are very eager to learn! It is wonderful to see their smiles as they come into the classroom each morning, ready for another day of school. We have already settled into our daily routine of singing, listening to a Bible story, coloring, and learning about numbers and letters. One of the first things we learn to do is how to write our first and last name, which is very rewarding for the students. We get lots of practice as we write our name on all the papers we do! We also make sure to update our calendar and check the weather every day, and of course, read a story together too! Our first Word Building Pace focused on the three sounds the letter 'A' can make, to go along with the first sounds of ape, antelope, and armadillo. Although this was quite challenging, the students are learning to listen carefully to the sounds in words, form the letters carefully and neatly, and also enjoy singing little rhyming songs about the fast antelope, the aging ape, and the armadillo's armor... The kindergarten boys were very proud to finish their first paces this first week! |
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In the afternoons, Kindergarten has been doing a unit on how each one of us is special, and a part of our family, our school, our church, and our country. We looked at our unique characteristics like eye and hair color, and our height. It was fun comparing how our families are alike and different. We made a model of our school using shapes, which gave us good practice using a scissors carefully! We talked about why going to church is important and what we do there, and then got to use glitter glue to make the church windows look like stained glass. The students are looking forward to their next unit on fall, apples and pumpkins. |
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ELEMENTARY LEARNING CENTER |
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The Elementary Learning Center has 14 students this year. Our theme is "Growing", and the birds, blooms, shovels and spades that decorate walls, labels and the elementary room door give it an inviting atmosphere. The students have been working hard, settling into routines and expectations with commendable cheerfulness and willingness. They are excited to earn "seeds" this year for good behavior, and everyone helped to name the class Bobble head flower, Rosie. She waves at the students from the window sill, and students can earn the privilege to have this class friend in their cubby for a day. One of the new things we do this year in elementary is to recite the Pledge of Allegiance every afternoon. We are focusing a little extra effort on helping the students learn more about their country, and so also plan to read American history children's stories during Book Camp. Each book will that we read will receive a place on the American history timeline on one of the walls of the learning center. Our new elementary aide, "Miss Bekah" has quickly become part of our school community, and we appreciate her help and expertise in elementary very much. We are all looking forward to our first fall field trip, to Schwallier's Country Basket in Sparta, on Thursday of this coming week. We quickly snuck in this field trip before a busy week of Aimsweb testing the following week. |
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Photo below left: Sifra peeks over with a smile, while our first grader, Lanayah carefully writes her letters in her PACE. Photo below right: Math is fun, isn't it Jonah? |
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Photo below left: Mrs. Sporte and Mrs. Rotich enjoying coffee and sunshine during recess duty on a beautiful fall morning. Photo below right: Lower elementary students had fun playing with a parachute and a ball during PE class, incorporating quick reflexes and teamwork. |
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HIGH SCHOOL LEARNING CENTER |
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With 21 students in high school this year, the learning center is a busy place. We are thankful for the additions of Mrs. Emmert and Mrs. DeMeester as high school monitors, and were happy to welcome back Dr. DeBraber and Mr. Marion as tutors as well. All of the students have shown exemplary diligence and it is a pleasure to see how studious they have been these first few weeks. It is noticeable that the students are now well accustomed to this method of learning, and understand well how to set proper, achievable goals to meet expectations. The upper level high schoolers have already finished their first Bible test on the first eight chapters of 1 Corinthians. While teaching this book, it included related practical sub-topics such as Materialism and Relationships, including core relationships between ourselves and our loved ones, as well as our relationships within the God-given structure in society. The writings of several godly fore-fathers, such as John Bunyan and Jonathan Edwards were incorporated into the students' work and provided valuable further insight. Our friends in Wisconsin - Olivia, Evan and Esther - have become familiar to our students and the high schoolers are eager to welcome them to our Bible classes each day. This year, they also join virtually for some of the high school English and literature classes, which have been going well! |
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Above left: Purity enjoys some teacher-aiding during school hours, which is a huge help to the elementary staff! Above right: Kaelynn flashes a big smile during her math lesson. |
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Photo above: Jacob looking at squamous cells, cilia and other microscopic details for anatomy class Photo below: The shop class gets orientation from Mr. Marshall about tools, safety and what to expect in shop class this year. The students have been introduced to various kinds of welding this week, and began working on small engine repairs for a variety of leaf blowers, weed whippers, a vacuum cleaner, a generator and a lawn tractor! A big thank you to Mr. Marshall for being willing to host our shop students every week. |
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Photo below: Everyone enjoys the lunch breaks we have together in the gym. |
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FUNDRAISING UPDATE! We would like to periodically provide updates throughout the year on our various fundraising efforts. This also is a way for us to show our appreciation for your support and contributions to make each of these endeavors a success. For several years now we have been collecting pop cans and turning them in for money. This quiet endeavor has been a consistent revenue stream for our school, and we would like to thank those who continue to either bring in the pop cans or turn in the money for them. So far in the last few weeks, we have been able to collect over $400! Part of this money we plan to use to off set some of the hot lunch expenses and supplies. We will continue to report on amounts received and what some of the "extras" are that we are able to use the money for! As the autumn season approaches quickly, our high school learning center students are willing and able to provide fall leaf cleanup at your property, whether home or business. We will bring all the necessary equipment, tools and energy to get your property ready for the winter, in exchange for a donation to the school. Please reach out to Mr. Russ Emmert (616-318-7238) or talk to one of the school families to schedule yours soon! |
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Introducing ... the Village Kitchen, our newest fundraising effort at DLIGR! The idea of ‘the Village Kitchen’ was born as we thought of each of you... busy parents, families, educators, volunteers and children! It is our hope to provide a selection of home cooked meals, easy lunch items, and made-from-scratch baked foods that are both healthy and tasty, easy to grab and quick to bake or serve fresh. We would like to provide a few new items every few weeks. We will be publishing a new newsletter every month, which will include the new items stocked in the freezer. Our first newsletter is below. |
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Two ways to stay informed of the freshest arrivals: OR Our website will have live links to available dishes which you can purchase online and one of the Village Ladies will be in touch to arrange delivery or pickup, or you are always welcome to stop by the school during open hours. |
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In a few weeks, we hope to begin our annual dessert sale! We've changed up the menu a little this year, and hope to add a few specialty items so stay tuned for the flyer which will be posted soon. The desserts will be prepared and delivered just before Thanksgiving, so keep us in mind as you plan for family gatherings and dinners. |
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